Restorative Justice and Compensation of Non-Material Damages

This paper discusses compensation of non-material damages suffered by victims of crime. A comparison is made between compensation offered to victims of traffic accidents and compensation received by victims of crime. The role that such compensation plays in restoring the victim's belief in the legal order is explored.
The paper goes into initiatives to promote uniformity of sentencing in cases in which compensation of non-material damages are claimed. Other roles and functions that might be fulfilled by being awarded compensation for non-material damages are explained. The paper ends with conclusions and recommendations.